Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock

Lucion smiled mockingly at Owen, but it was clear that Owen’s mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with the fact that he had consumed poison.

Ting!

The red thread tightened, and with a rustling sound, it easily snapped.

Lucion’s satisfied smile froze as he was suddenly startled by the warmth trickling beneath his nose.

A nosebleed.

[A-Are you okay?!]

Bethel gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, while Ratta hung from her chair, looking at Lucion with teary eyes.

—Are you pushing yourself too hard again, Lucion? Please don’t collapse. Ratta will be sad.

[See! The pain you experienced earlier wasn’t for naught! Where did those guys go?]

Russell gritted his teeth as he searched for the darkness that had vanished.

‘I used a slightly different curse earlier that caused chest pain. Could that be the reason for the nosebleed?’

Lucion pondered as he looked at the blood.

“No, Lucion, look. He is in pain. It seems he’s still not ready.”

Suddenly, the darkness’s earlier words echoed in his mind.

‘He mentioned I wasn’t yet prepared. Was it because I was a broken vessel? Is that why I struggle to contain this power?’

“Are you… hurt anywhere?”

Owen’s complexion turned ghostly pale.

If Lucion were to collapse now, knowing he had poisoned him, it would be a terrifying outcome.

Lucion attempted to reassure Owen, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his nose.

“I apologize for startling you, Your Highness.”

“That’s not the point. Where are you feeling discomfort?”

“I’ve been under the weather lately.”

“I’ve taken up too much of your time. I shall take my leave now.”

Owen, with a look of fear in his eyes, stood up immediately.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Didn’t I say from the start that we would have a brief conversation? Since you’re not feeling well, I won’t take any more of your time.”

Without sparing a glance at Lucion, Owen made his way swiftly to the door.

“I’ll see you off.”

“There’s no need. Attend to your health first.”

Despite repeated refusals, Owen hastened down the hallway.

Lucion watched him go and then returned to his chair, sitting down once more.

‘What a coward.’

Feeling finally at ease, Lucion took a sip of his tea.

‘Delicious.’

* * *

Perhaps due to the fact that they had previously been attacked by Luminos, a group of wizards, both the Imperial Knights and the Chronia Knights were very well prepared.

If an uninformed person were to witness it, they might think they were gearing up for war.

“Is all this preparation truly necessary?” Lucion voiced his own doubts.

“Of course. Our enemies have become stronger due to past failures, so shouldn’t we prepare even more?”

Carson looked somewhat disappointed.

“It would be good if we could go together to the temple, but that responsibility will have to fall on the unreliable Heint for now. Get on the carriage. A larger one has been readied for you to rest comfortably.”

Unable to resist Carson’s urging, Lucion made his way to the carriage.

―Wooooow! It’s the king’s carriage from the book!

Ratta was already at the top of the stairs, eagerly asking for the door to be opened.

―Lucion! Lucion! Hurry up! Hurry!

Hume chuckled softly as he opened the carriage door.

―Wow! It’s so spacious! I can run around freely! Oh, this makes me so happy!

As Ratta stuck out her tongue and extended her paw, Hume lifted her inside.

“Ratta, you need to be calm.”

Though a simple request, Ratta’s tail dropped, unable to wag.

―Alright.

‘Hume is definitely intimidating. Especially, never by force.’

Lucion couldn’t help but giggled at Ratta’s dejected form.

―Right now, Ratta is… sad. It seems Lucion is happy.

Ratta pouted.

Lucion got into the carriage first with Hume’s help.

The feeling as he sat down was rated 4 out of 5 for comfort.

The ride was pleasant.

With the door shut, Ratta seized the chance to dart around the spacious interior, creating a bit of a commotion.

And Carson soon climbed into the carriage.

Observing Carson, Ratta cautiously snuggled up next to Lucion, settling down quietly.

As the carriage set off, Carson initiated the conversation.

“What did you talk about with the prince?”

“We didn’t talk much. It was just… a bit strange.”

“Strange? In what way?”

“During our tea and dessert, I had a sudden nosebleed, and he abruptly left as if he was avoiding something.”

Lucion spoke calmly, while Russell and Bethel turned their attention to Carson, noting his pale complexion.

“Give me your arm.”

“Huh…?”

“Now!”

Under Carson’s insistence, Lucion hesitated for a moment before extending his arm.

[Did you intentionally suggest to Carson that Owen might have used poison?]

In response to Russell’s question, Lucion slightly nodded. He had framed his words to lead to that impression.

“Even if it stings, endure it.”

Before Lucion could react further, Carson had already infused mana into Lucion’s arm.

Ping!

Lucion staggered momentarily as the mana surged through his body, disrupting the darkness within him.

The darkness was sensitive to disturbances.

‘What? Does even my brother know how to detect a poison mage’s poison?’

Suppressing the darkness, Lucion bit his lip in bewilderment.

—Carson was attacking Lucion, who wasn’t even masked?

Ratta, startled, nearly lunged at Carson to defend Lucion, but Russell swiftly caught her tail.

[No! It’s just an examination. Stay calm, Ratta. Your interference will only make things harder for Lucion.]

Russell shook his head disapprovingly as he looked at the panic-stricken Lucion.

[I always thought there would come a day when your tricks would backfire on you, but I didn’t expect it to be today.]

Carson’s skillful use of mana intensified the impact beyond what an ordinary person could experience.

Russell chuckled, considering it a valuable experience.

“Hah.”

With a sigh of relief, Carson withdrew his hand.

“Why the sudden action, Brother?”

Lucion’s voice rose in agitation. The lingering nausea still unsettled him, making him a bit sharp-tongued.

“I’m sorry. I needed to ensure the Fourth Prince hadn’t poisoned you.”

“Wouldn’t silver have been enough for confirmation?”

“You can’t detect a poison mage’s poison with silver.”

Bang! Bang!

Once Carson finished speaking, he abruptly knocked on the carriage.

The carriage came to a sudden halt, and Carson held Lucion to prevent him from falling.

“I need to check something real quick.”

“Check what?”

Lucion realized that Carson intended to look at the tea and desserts that Owen had brought, but he pretended not to notice.

‘Will there be anything left to find?’

“I’ll inform you once I’ve checked. Just wait a moment.”

After getting off the carriage, Carson headed over to speak with Heint.

Lucion didn’t need to eavesdrop to understand their purpose.

The Fourth Prince had attempted to poison him, and they needed to find evidence of it.

“Teacher.”

Lucion fixed Russell with a stern gaze.

[Why?]

“You’re being quite heartless.”

[Who? Me?]

“Yes, you, Teacher.”

[Sometimes, it’s necessary for me to be this way. Don’t you agree?] 

Russell nonchalantly shrugged.

* * *

Lucion blinked.

“Father?”

Stepping down from the carriage in Cronia, he found Novio grabbing Heint by the collar.

[Your father…?]

Bethel’s eyes widened.

[I knew Novio was upset, but I didn’t expect him to go this far.]

Russell couldn’t believe his eyes.

“I apologize, patriarch.”

Heint bowed his head, looking as if he had anticipated this moment.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I failed to carry out my duties properly. I am ashamed.”

It wasn’t entirely Heint’s fault that Lucion was exposed to the light from the auction house and thrown into the water, lured by the corrupted darkness from the East.

Unable to explain this, Lucion stopped Novio.

“Father, please stop.”

Even during his sleep or brief absences, attacks had targeted him. 

It was unfortunate that he was injured in such a significant event.

“You’re not angry, are you?”

Novio looked at Lucion.

Lucion was simply taken aback.

Why was he not angry?

If Lucion had been the one to express anger, things wouldn’t have felt so frustrating.

“I am not angry. Do you still see me only as the son who brings shame to our family?”

He spoke as though he had everything under control.

“Father, I think that’s enough. I’ve had many discussions with Sir Heint.”

At Carson’s intervention, Novio finally released his hold, yet Heint still couldn’t raise his head.

“I am disappointed in you, Sir.”

With those words, Novio turned away, and Lucion found himself in an awkward position, following his father.

It would be even more absurd if he tried to console Heint right now.

“I’m sorry for surprising you, Lucion.”

Novio spoke softly to him.

He hadn’t even had a chance to welcome Lucion back to Cronia after such a long time.

“It’s alright. I’m fine.”

“Don’t worry too much about Sir Heint. I will speak to him later.”

“Was that intentional?”

“To some extent.”

[I thought it was genuine?]

Russell raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Isn’t it better to have a conflict arise while we have a clearer understanding of who our enemies are?”

In that moment, Lucion felt a wave of relief.

No matter how angry Novio was, touching an imperial knight was an insult to the imperial family.

Even if Ketlan was his friend, that was not something to overlook.

“Is it the Emperor’s will?”

“Yes. It was my will as well. So don’t worry.”

Novio stopped walking and placed a hand on Lucion’s head, affectionately ruffling his hair.

“You’ve been through a lot, Lucion. I’m thankful you’ve returned safely.”

Novio’s gaze held genuine warmth as he looked at his son.

* * *

Lucion rubbed his sleepy eyes and woke up.

After arriving home yesterday and receiving the warm welcome from the servants, he was further celebrated with a bouquet of flowers.

He was relieved that he didn’t have a pollen allergy, as his room was completely filled with flowers.

He had missed his usual intake of Ratcho for the past two weeks to build up his resistance, but after enjoying a delicious dinner, he had Ratcho, got some sunlight, and fell asleep.

‘I really should get in touch with Kran.’

As Lucion reached out for his communication device while still lying down, his hand brushed against Ratta’s soft fur.

While gently petting the still-dreaming Ratta, he let out a long yawn.

[Lucion…?]

Russell, entering the room, halted in surprise at the sight of Lucion preparing to use his communication device.

“Good morning, Teacher.”

Lucion beamed widely, his eyes still half-closed.

Though his frustration was near boiling, Russell managed to suppress it upon seeing Lucion’s expression.

[It’s great to be diligent, but are you planning to contact Kran right after waking up? Take it easy, enjoy the morning, snuggle under the covers, gaze blankly at the ceiling. Take a moment to relax.]

“You mean while turning away from the darkness?”

[Yes… ah, no, there’s no need for that today.]

Russell nodded naturally but then quickly shook his head.

[If you hand over the additional materials now, we can perfectly take down that scoundrel Twilo, and Owen will be pushed to the brink as well… Or, if you present evidence of his attempt to poison you, Owen will face the same consequences.]

“Teacher, don’t worry. I had planned to take it easy today. I won’t push myself too hard.”

Russell wiped his face at those words.

[Lucion. Even if I keep telling you that you’re pushing yourself too hard, you don’t get it, do you? Or is it that you don’t want to hear it?]

“That’s not it. I hear you loud and clear. But I need to take action.”

Lucion slowly opened his eyes.

[‘That expression again?’]

Russell wanted to ask about it, but the expression on Lucion’s face, which looked like a breakwater resisting rough waves, kept him from speaking.

Instead, his heart was pounding anxiously.

After taking a deep breath, Russell tried to shift the conversation.

[You’ve been pushing yourself to your limits, haven’t you?]

“That’s why I’m going to rest today. It’s a bit tough, though.”

[It’s not just today; you should be resting properly for over a month.]

“That’s not possible. I’ll rest when everything is over.”

Lucion smiled apologetically.

[If only someone could knock you out for today.]

“Unfortunately, there’s no one here who could do that.”

Lucion chuckled as he retrieved his communication device.

“Kran.”

<Yes, Hamel. Did you sleep well? I heard you arrived in Cronia yesterday.>

Kran greeted Lucion warmly, responding immediately. No matter what time it was, Kran was always diligent.

“Tomorrow, I’m heading to Keortia. Use Chefran’s name to send an invitation or something to Cronia.”

Miela and Kran had discovered his true identity.

If that was the case, then naturally, he had to find a way to head to the Kingdom of Keortia without raising any suspicion.